The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Energy firm urged to fund ambitious plans for waterfront
kincardine: Town hit by closure of Longannet
ScottIishPower must fund the development of Kincardine waterfront, it has been claimed.
Local MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville made the call to finance community regeneration projects at a meeting of the Longannet taskforce which aims to help mitigate the impact of the closure of the power station last year.
The Dunfermline and West Fife SNP MSP met with the energy firm in February, when it revealed it would consider the merit of legacy scheme proposals for Kincardine.
She now wants a commitment from ScottishPower to back projects such as the waterfront, detailed in the Kincardine charrette organised by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and carried forward by the community.
The MSP also wants ScottishPower to work with locals to establish which sections of the waterfront it owns.
She said: “The projects included as part of the Kincardine charrette have so much potential and it’s fantastic that they are being driven by the people who matter the most – the community.
“They have decided what improvements they want to see in the village, and now the next stage is to secure the necessary funding.”
Ms Somerville said: “It is an asset that has yet to be unlocked, and it’s great to hear about how the location could be transformed into a destination for visitors and tourists, as well as a route linking Kincardine to other places in the Upper Forth area.
“However, as with any community project, securing the necessary funding is vital. That’s why I’ve called on ScottishPower to back the Kincardine community’s village improvement proposals, by providing financial support.
“This would be a fitting way for ScottishPower to give back to the community that has supported them for many decades,” she said.
She said similar commitments had been made by other firms when they withdrew from other closure-impacted areas – Diageo gave its former Kilmarnock Johnnie Walker plant to Ayrshire College.
A spokesperson for ScottishPower said: “We are continuing with the decommissioning of Longannet power station and as part of this process we will continue to engage with the local community, Fife Council and elected representatives around any future plans.”
The projects included as part of the Kincardine charrette have so much potential. MSP SHIRLEY-ANNE SOMERVILLE